THE YANCEY JOURNAL
C VOL. 5, NO. 20
Lt. Gov. Jim Green
Lt. Gov.
To Speak
At MTI
Ceremony
Jimmy Green, Lt. Gover
nor and Chairman of the State
Board of Education, will
deliver the Dedication Add
ress during formal dedication
ceremonies for Mayland
Technical Institute’s new $1.5
motion building. The cere
monies are set for Sunday
afternoon, May 22, at 2:00
p.m. in the parking lot at the
new building. Lt. Governor
Green’s address will cap a
weekend of public activities
sponsored by the Institute.
On Saturday, May 21,
beginning at 2:00 p.m., the
building will be open for
public viewing and faculty
and staff will be on hand to
talk with visitors about the
Institute’s programs. Each
instructional department will
have an exhibit to acquaint
the public with its activities.
Other Saturday activities in
clude performances by the
Mountain Heritage Band and
Chorus, the Harris High
Doggers, the Mayland Tech
Instrumental Ensemble, the
Avery High Doggers, the
Blue Ridge Opry Boys, the
Bowman High Chorus, and a
special demonstration by Pat
rick Cauble, a lutenist, and
Shanna Hollander, a harpsi
chordist. Dr. Ted Ledford will
give a sight and sound
[Cont’d on page 4]
v* p n vK.mIII
Kindergarten Outing
The Bald Creek Kindergarten enjoyed an outing laet
Wednesday, May 11, when their principal, Mr. Ronnie Proffitt,
drove them to town for the day. The Undergartpmi vlaited the
Yancey County Public Library, The Yancey Journal, the Poet
*
Chamber Passes On
‘No Park’Resolution
On Thursday, May 5, 1977, the
Board of Directors of the Yancey
County Chamber of Commerce voted
unanimously for a resolution to
oppose the creation of a National
Park in the Mt. Mitchell area. A _
spokesman for the Chamber stated*;.»
that in their view the establishment
of a National Park encompassing an
area generally fitting the study area
would seriously interfere with the
attraction of new industry to Yancey
County as well as the possible
expansion and everyday activities of
pur present industries. Not only
would federal acquisition of land
eliminate many industrial sites, he
continued, it would also make other
sites undesirable due to high
commercialization of tAe area. It is
possible, he stated, that our labor
force could be depleted due to
relocation of families.
The Chamber feels that the
establishment of a National Park
would bring a short-lived boom to
present retail businesses, especially
those geared to tourist trade, but in
the long run it would not benefit the
general merchants. The influx of
new business would consist pri
marily of the tourist oriented trade:
the fast food restaurant, the trinket
and junk peddler. A National Park
would not attract department stores,
the stable food chains, the stores
which sell quality merchandise at
reasonable prices. Also, it is
believed that a park in the area
would force the cost of necessities
up, not only for the tourist but for the
Legislators’ Addresses
NORTH CAROLINA SENATE
26th District: (Buncombe, Madison, McDowell,
Yancey), I.C. Crawford (Buncombe) 10 Hampshire
Circle, Asheville, N.C. 28804, and Robert S. Swain
(Buncombe) Route 5, Box 1112, Asheville, N.C.
28803. ,
NORTH CAROLINA HOUSE
41st District: (McDowell and Yancey) Glenn A.
Morris (McDowell) 808 Flemming Avenue, Marion,
N.C. 28752.
CONGRESS
U.S. Senator Jesse A. Helms Jr., Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510.
U.S. Senator Robert B. Morgan, Senate Office
Building, Washington, D.C. 20510.
U.S. Representative Lamar Gudger, Room 428,
Cannon Building, Washington, D.C. 20515.
BURNSVILLE, N.C. 28714
year-round resident as well.
There is also concern for the
stability of a tourist-based economy,
according to the Chamber Directors
whose greatest concern is for the
citizens themselves. The creation of
a National Park could disturb county
finances to the extent that taxes for
industrial, commercial and private
property might double their present
rate. Park customers do not pay
county taxes! The Federal Govern
ment does not pay County taxes, and
yet the county must continue to
provide services. It was pointed out
that in some cases these services
would be expanded, for example the
Sheriff and Police Departments,
trash pickup, road maintenance, etc.
And revenue to support these
services will have to come from the
citizens of Yancey County.
Chamber members also stated
that recreation would be restricted if
a National Park were created since
there would be no hunting and
virtually no fishing in a National
Park. Also, off-the-road trails for
vehicular use would be prohibited!
The Chamber feels that in effect we
would be taking the free use of
thousands of acres of land away from i v
the people whose birthright and
heritage it has always been, in order
to put the land on display for others. ''
Not only would a park take out of
production a significant amount of
land for farming, it would also make
a larger area undesirable, says the
Chamber, due to commercialization.
At this stage farmers are reluctant to
invesi capital to upgrade their
*
Office, and-beat of all, of courae-The Ice Cream Dlppet i»r a
scoop of their favorite! Approximately 35 students enjoy* the
day, accompanied by teacher, Billie Marie Ray, and <4her
aides, Adas Edwards and Phyllis Tomberlin.
| 1
4 1
i u
Helxnsf Team Invites
Local Park View
United Stats? Senator
Jesse Helms ;• sending
representatives o Yancey
County to see what the
situation is in rewd to the
proposed Nationamrk study.
Hamilton Hortft, who is
Helms’ Administrtive Assis
tant, is a former site senator
and was very acute in the
New River deal; Id Keith
Weatherly, one f| Helms’
Special Assistants,#ho runs
the Hickory, N.C.ilfice, are
production. It is possible, even, that
a National Park could force property
taxes so high as to make farming
impossible in Yancey County.
The chamber discussed their
concern that textile mills which move
a majority of their products and raw
materials by truck would suffer from
the traffic congestion during peak
tourist season (estimated at 500 to
700 cars per hour). The mining and
logging industries would also be
affected, which, in turn, drastically
affects the lives of people who live
and work in this area. The building
industry has already begun to feel
the effects of the park study. People
are reluctant to build or remodel
homes in an area in which the federal
government might force them to
move-or which may change beyond
all recognition if the Park idea goes
through.
Approximately 5,500 people in
Yancey County live within the
boundaries of the National Park
Study area (this figure is a
conservative estimate drawn from
the ’74 census). These people must
live in uncertainty until the park
study and Congressional action (if
any) are completed.
The Yancey County Chamber of
Commerce wishes to make fheir
opposition to the creation of a
National Park clear. They vigorously
support the efforts of the Concerned
Citizens Committee and will do
everything in their power to oppose
the creation of a National Park in the
area which they serve.
coming Thursday morning,
May 1.9, to tour the proposed
park site with a forestry agent
to see what’s involved.
On Thursday afternoon at
2 o’clock p.m. these men will
be at the Yancey County
Courthouse to meet with
interested people in this
and gef their opinions about
the Park study. They will talk
with anyone who has an
interest in the matter, and if
enough people are present to
warrant it, they plan to be at
the Courthouse again on
Friday, May 20, for additional
interviews.
According to a spokesman
from Senator Helms’ office,
the senator wants to know
how the people of this area
feel about a National Park,
and will use this information
in formulating his own ideas.
Monthly
Legion
Meeting Set
The Earl Horton Post of
thp American Legion and the
American Legion Auxiliary
will have their monthly
meeting and covered dish
at the Burnsville
Community Building Tues
day. May 24. at 7:00 p.m.
Newcomers will be espe
cially welcome at this pre-
Poppy Day meeting. For
further information call Mrs.
Genie McQuare, 682-3701.
At the meeting there will
be a presentation of awards to
representatives of Henredon
Furniture aqd to International
Minerals for their exemplary
service in employing veter
ans. These awards are made
by the North Carolina Chapter
of The American Legion.
I
6 •
THURSDAY, MAY 19, 1977
v ‘ n ’Aw 'riwSjnFffi --* • I
* jfjsy ex’ 4' - 1 r
Soil Stewardship Week
Soil Stewardship Week, a nationwide observance which emphasizes man’s responsibility to
protect and conserve soil, water, and other natural resources, will be May 15-22 this yew, Car lie
Rice, Chairman of the Yancey County Soil and Water Conservation District, announced today.
“This year’s theme, ‘When We Care', will help each to examine his own motives and actions in
the conservation of God’s manifold gifts,*’ said Mr. Rice.
Among the churches in the District that we scheduling special Soil Stewardship services are
the First Baptist Church, Burnsville, and Higgins Memorial United Methodist Church. “We
hope,” said Mr. Rice, “that during Soil Stewwdship Week, millions of Americans will pause for a
moment to consider their responsibilities for the protection and proper care of the Lord’s earth.”
This is the 23rd consecutive yew that the National Association of Conservation Districts, along
with almost 3,000 local Districts throughout the nation, has sponsored Soil Stewardship Week.
Photos by Ray Dorsett
jPSjL
mi
t . ** •
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■. :
'■ ■ 44 •>*! ptev' Win
Hunter Survey To Aid
Wildlife Improvement Program
If you bought a North
Carolina hunting license this
past year, you may receive a
letter from the N.C. Wildlife
Resources Commission short
ly-if you haven’t already. The
Commission is mailing a
hunter survey questionnaire
to approximately 1.5 percent
of North Carolina’s 400,000
licensed hunters.
According to Hal Atkin
son, chief of the Commis
sion’s Division of Game, the
purpose of the mail survey is
to obtain information from
hunters about game harves
ted and areas they hunted,
their success or lack of it, and
their favorite game species
and hunting areas in the
State.
“Information from pre
vious studies has furnished a
valuable base for making
decisions affecting North Ca
rolina’s wildlife program,”
said Atkinson, ‘‘and this
survey is needed to maintain
this information base and to
identify trends in hunter
preferences, attitudes And
success.”
The 6,000 or so hunters
who receive the survey
questionnaire are selected at
random from hunting license
records of North Carolina
hunters. "It is important that
each hunter fill in and return The questionnaires will be
the questionnaire,” said At- analyzed by the Southeastern
kinson, “even if he did not Cooperative Fish and Game
hunt or make any kill during Statistics Project at N.C. State
the 1976-77 hunting season. University and the informa r
In order to properly evaluate tion obtained will assist the
the game harvest for the past Wildlife Resources Commisi
season, we need a return from sion in improving North
each individual in our statisti- Carolina’s wildlife
cally selected sample.” nient program.
\
Dreyer Named Director;
I
Os Summer Concerts
Donna Jean Dreyer of
Winston-Salem has been
named administrative director
of the Music in the Mountains
summer concert series. Mrs.
•t'ftit W«*K
15 c
Dreyer will be responsible foil
publicity, business
ment and general administra*
tion.
The Music in the Mounjf
tains series will begin June 19
and continue through August
14 with concerts in
Spruce Pine, Swannanoaf
Asheville and Hendersonville,
Mrs. Dreyer, who will
residing in Burnsville after
June 1, is ' the associate
producer of the Carolina
Theatre Company in Winston
regional representative to die